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J. T. CARTER. AUTOMATIG RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 402,398. Patented-Apr. 30,1889.

'(No M ooo '2 Shea. s J.T.OARTER. w AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

- No. 402,398. V Patented Apr. 30,1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. CARTER, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK JHILBERT, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,398, dated April30, 1889.

Application filed November 8, 1888. $erial No. 290,283. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN T. CARTER, of Baltimore, in the State ofMaryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway-Signals; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of theinvention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvementin railway-signals, and moreparticularly to danger-signals, especially adapted for use along arailway line at street-crossings, &c.; and my invention consists incertain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, morefully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective viewof a portion of a railway-track, showing one of the signal-boxes locatedat a streetcrossing and the operating mechanism on the track and theconnections. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the interiormechanism of the signal-box by which the visual and audible signals aresimultaneously operated. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line w 00, Fig. 2,Fig. 4 is a partial vertical longitudinal section of the main support inthe signal-box in the plane y y, Fig. 3. Fig. .5 is a detail elevationof the Weighted hammer or tongue which operates the circuitr'closer.

The general character of the system is follows: A signal-box, a, isplaced at a point where a street crosses the tracks I), and in suchposition that it can be seen by all on the street approaching the track.The signal-box is provided with one or more suitable movable visualsignals and with an audible' signal or alarm, so that when a train isapproaching upon either track a visual signal will be conspicuouslydisplayed and the alarm will be sounded. The signaling apparatus isoperated by suitable trips located on eachtrack a suitable distance fromand upon each side of the crossing, so that the train as it approacheswill operate the signals by depressingthe trip,

located on the track and connected with the signals by the usualconnections, and after the train passes the crossing it will depress thetrip upon that side and throw the apparatus to its normal position andoperate the same to withdraw the visual signal and stop the sounding ofthe alarm.

The signal-box a is of any desirable construction, but is preferablyinclosed, as shown, and provided in its side toward the street with thevertical slots or openings a a, through which the visual signals 0extend Whenthere is a train approaching. An electric gong or otheraudible alarm is located on or near the signal-box. A main frame orvertical post, 6, is locatedin the signal-box and supports the signalmechanism. Each visual signal preferably consists of a flag orsemaphore, c, secured to the upper portion of and carried by a verticalswinging rod, 0, centrally secured at its lower end to a T-piece orhorizontal lever, f, pivoted at its center to one side of the post 6 toswing in a vertical plane upon its pivotal point, so that when one freeend of the lever is drawn down the rod 0' will swing inwardly andwithdraw the semaphore into the signal-box; but when the opposite freeend of the lever is drawn down the rod 0' is swungin the oppositedirection, and the semaphore will extend out through one of the slots aand give warning to all persons passing' along the street. The upper endof the swinging rod 0 is weighted, as shown, to assist the same in itsmovements and to render it quick and sure when operated, and the weight(1' upon its upper end is preferably hollow and provided with openings,and a lamp such as an incandescent electriclamp-is located therein. Thusit will be seen that the signal is serviceable after dark, for when thetrain approaches the rod will be swung outwardly with the semaphore andits upper end will eXtendoutside of the signal-box, so that the lightcan be seen anywhere upon the street. If anelectric lamp is used, thecurrent can be supplied from a main line supported by thetelegraph-poles.

A battery, g, is located in the signal-boxer any other suitablelocation, and one of its poles is directly connected with the magnets ofthe alarm and the other with a stationary co11tactpoint,c, upon thefront side of the post 6, and the magnets are also electricallyconnected with a movable contact-point, 6 consisting of a plate-springsecured to the post and extending over and normally located a distancefrom the stationary contact 0'. Thus it will be seen that to sound thealarm the spring-plate 0 must be pressed into contact with point e. Arocking shaft or red, h, extends across the front side of the post, andis j ournaled thereon beneath the circuit-closer and about opposite thelevers or T-pieces carrying the swinging visual signals. A tongue, arm,or hammer, h, is centrally and rigidly secured to the rock-shaft andextends upward from the same and opposite the spring-plate of thecircuit-closer, and this arm is weighted upon its upper end and adapted,when the shaft 72, is rocked in one direction, to swing inward and forcethe spring-plate into contact with the stationary contact and close thecircuit and ring the bell, and when the shaft is released the weightedend of the am will cause it to swing outward, carrying with it the shaftand allow the spring-plate to spring out to its normal position.

The shaft is rocked to close the circuit by the lugs i, rigidly securedto and extending inward from the shaft beneath the ends of the levers f,which are depressed when the visual signals are displayed. The lugs 'iloosely engage the under surfaces of the ends 1" of the leversf,whichare somewhat rounded, and of course when the same are drawn down thelugs 71 are forced down and theshaft h rocked to throw the arm 71'inward, and when the lever f is rocked in the opposite direction the armh will assume its normal posit-ion, as before mentioned. I

\Vhere there is a double railroad-track, a similar lever, f, and visualsignals are located upon each side of the postc, and are independentlyoperated, one by trains on the up track and the other by trains on thedown track; but they both operate upon the one shaft 71, as it isprovided with lugs 71 '2', located beneath each lever f.

The signal is operated by the car-wheels passing over trips jsuch, forinstance, as described in my application No. 207,224, filed January 22,1889-located upon the track or tracks a suitable distance from and oneach side of the crossing, and each trip is connected with one end of alever, f, by connections Z. Thus when a train approaches the crossingthe wheels will depress the trip, and thereby draw down one end of theleverf through the 1nedium of connection 7, and throw out the visualsignal and sound the alarm, and when the train has passed the crossingthe trip j 011 the down side of the same is operated, thereby drawingdown the opposite end of lever f, withdrawing the signal, stopping theringing of the bell, and returning the trip on the up side to its normalposition. The tripsjj upon the other track operate in a similar manner,

only the trip which operates the signals is on the opposite side of thecrossing from the corresponding one of the other track.

It should be observed that when the trip on the up side of the trackfrom the crossingis depressed it simultaneously throws out a v sualsignal and sounds an alarm, and the signal is not withdrawn nor thealarm stopped until the trip upon the opposite side of the crossing isdepressed.

It is not considered necessary to set forth the great utility and manyadvantages of the herein-described device, as they are obvious.

The peculiar distinctive electric signal is not claimed herein per se,but merely as the element of the entire system, as the same forms thesub jeet-matter of an apphcation filed January 22, 1889, Serial No.297,220.

It is also evident that various changes might be made in the form andarrangement of the various parts described without departm g from thespirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself to theprecise eonstruetion herein set forth.

What I claim is- 1. In a railway-signal, the combination of a sign al-box, a movable semaphore normally located therein, an audible alarm, aroclting shaft to sound the alarm, a vertically-sw1nging lever pivotedwithin the box and carrying the semaphore and adapted to display orwithdraw the same and simultaneously rock said shaft to start or stopthe alarm, and a trip connected with the lever and located on the trackand operated by a passing train, substantially as described.

2. In a railway-signal, the combination of a movable semaphore, a gong,an electric C11- cuit ineludin g the gong, a circuit-controller in thecircuit, a lever to simultaneously display the semaphore and operate thecireuitcontroller to close the circuit and sound the gong, and mechanismconnected with said lever and operated by a passing train, substantiallyas described.

3. A railway-signal comprising a centrallypivoted lever movable in avertical plane, an upwardly-extendin g rod carried by and swinging withsaid lever, a semaphore carried by the upper portion of said rod, aninelosing signal-box, whereby, when one arm of the lever is depressed,the semaphore is displayed,

and when the other arm is depressed the sema-' phore is withdrawn, andmechanism foroperating the lever, substantially as described.

4. In a railway-signal, the combination of a signal-box, a lever pivotedtherein and 1novable in a vertical plane, an upwardly-extending swingingrod carried by and moving with the lever, a weight upon the upper end ofsaid rod, a semaphore carried by the upper portion of the rod anddisplayed when the rod is swung in one direction and withdrawn when thesame is swung in the opposite direction, and a trip located on the trackand connected with said lever, substantially as described.

5. A railway-signal comprising a signal-box,

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a lever centrally pivoted in the box to swing in a vertical plane, aswinging rod secured at its lower end to said lever and extendingupwardly from the same and counterbalanced at its upper free end, asemaphore carried by the upper portion of said rod and adapted to bedisplayed when the lever and rod are swung in one direction and to bewithdrawn when the same are swung in the opposite direction, and a pairof tripslocated upon opposite sides of a railway-crossing and connected,respectively, with the opposite free ends of said lever, substantiallyas described.

6. A railway signal comprising a signal-box, a vertical support therein,a lever pivoted at its center to said support to swing in averticalplane, a swinging rod carried bythe lever and counterbalanced at itsupper end, a semaphore carried by the upper portion of,

the rod, an electric circuit including a gong and circuit-controller, arock-shaft mounted on said support to close or open the circuit andoperated by said lever, and tripslocated on a track and connected withthe opposite ends of said lever, substantially as described.

7. A railway-signal comprising a T-lever pivoted toswing in a verticalplane, a swinging rod secured at its lower end centrally to the same andweighted at its upper end, avisual signal carried by the upper portionof the rod, and a pair of .trips located upon a railway-track andconnected, respectively, with the opposite ends of said lever to swingthe described.

rod in opposite directions, substantially as 8. g A railway signalcomprising a rod mounted to swing in a vertical plane, a hollowapertured counterbalancing-weight upon its upper end, a signal lamp orlight within the weight, a signal-box, and mechanism upon the track toswing the rod to display or withdraw the signal-light, substantially asdescribed. r

9. Arailway-signal comprisinga signal-box, a counterbalanced rod mountedat its lower end in the box upon a lever to swing in avertical plane, alamp or light carried by the upper-end of the rod, a flag or similarsignal carried by the upper portion of the rod, and mechanism upon thetrack connected with the lever to swing the rod and display or withdrawthe signals, substantially as described. 10. A railway-signal comprisinga movable visual signal and an audible alarm, an elec- .tric circuitincluding the alarm, a circuitcloser, an d mechanism located upon thetrack and operated by a passing train to simultaneously operate thevisual signal and audible alarm, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of. two witnesses.

JOHN T. CARTER.

Witnesses:

MURRAY HANSON, \ViLLIAM H. BERRY.

